I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I am new to this forum as the mother of a 14-year-old son who is going through the same thing. He has cystic acne and has developed some scars as well. We are seriously considering Accutane for him but I'm worried about his age and the side effects.

Have you considered this drug or discussed it with a dermatologist? I was told by my son's derm that they won't do anything to treat the scars until the active acne is under control. There are some very good lasers now, which are very effective with scarring but you need to get the acne under control.

My son's self-esteem has taken a nose-dive as his acne has gotten worse and he is nervous to start school again. We want to decide on the Accutane by this weekend.

What else have you tried to treat your acne?

I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I am new to this forum as the mother of a 14-year-old son who is going through the same thing. He has cystic acne and has developed some scars as well. We are seriously considering Accutane for him but I'm worried about his age and the side effects.

Have you considered this drug or discussed it with a dermatologist? I was told by my son's derm that they won't do anything to treat the scars until the active acne is under control. There are some very good lasers now, which are very effective with scarring but you need to get the acne under control.

My son's self-esteem has taken a nose-dive as his acne has gotten worse and he is nervous to start school again. We want to decide on the Accutane by this weekend.

What else have you tried to treat your acne?

Wow i pray for your son because i wouldnt imagine how hard it would be to have this in high school.I think he should try accutane

Check out Mr Matt's posts - he had great luck with subscisions, and it looks like that would help you.

Fillers are great, but temporary...if money is not a problem for you then you could just go there for a confidence boost while you sort out your medium term plans.

You need to find a good doctor first and foremost, who is experienced with acne scars, or 'interview' a few till you find one you are comfortable with. But read up on Mr Matt's posts, and others and go in there with the plan you'd like to follow.

There is hope, you can make progress- and having a plan laid out will give you something positive to focus on. Keep us posted!

You should whatever you have to in order to be satisfied with your skin but I don't think it's a good idea to take a year off from school. It won't be easy but you don't want to let your skin be the reason why you're a year behind. Good luck with everything.

from the other place of world , i know exactly what you are feeling, i'm from egypt and i have dealt with acne for 8 years , when i have 13 years old i start get acne, i'm now 25 years old with moderate severe acne scars on cheeks and temples, spider veins and persistent redness, scars on face are not easy problem, as you know , it's can change your life completely , i never have girlfriend , i can't look directly at people's eyes, ...

But i have hope that everything will be good soon,, for your education , i faced this problem , i 'm still studying in college, supposed that i finished my college from 4 years !! ,but i still in college and i have also more 2 years to finished it ,i postponed 2 years from my college before because i was under very high stress ,so please think about Take a year off from your college, don't lose your time , but if you sure that you can work and make some money to doing treatments , it will deserve that, don't be weak , and always search , search is very important key ,it will Lighting your road, i think you have rolling scars and some boxcar scars , you should look for subscision in combination with other treatments like filler , lasers (look for total fx or fraxel repair) from my search they are the best , but be aware from discoloration because you have darker skin, you can also look for micro needling radiofrequency , it's less aggressive but safe for your skin type, also r normal derma roller is still good but need more patience , before every thing do your research, believe me if you work for that hard ,you will get it , you soon for that as opposite me, i still have 2 years in my college, i will work very hard to finishing it , and after that i should go out from my country , and travel to work in europe or USA , because treatments for acne scars in egypt are very very bad !!,may be sometime i meet you in USA , and in this time ,you will have very beautiful skin and i will very proud that you will do that.. as mrsrobinson said , you can ask Mr Matt about subscision, he did many treatment , and he has expert about that, he also so kind and so helpful as many people here, i hope this will help you, and i believe that you can do it ....

i am 20 and have been dealing with severe acne for about 2 years.It has left me very scarred and sad and made my friends and girls who liked me abandon me.I feel like ill always get rejected now and never get married.I also want advice about getting laser,subcision,excision,and fillers.Which will work best.I sad being super ugly my goal is to get as normal as i can.I want a normal life AND IM GONNA Take a year off of college to get some work done.I wish I could have a dating life and social life again.In high school iprobably dated like 15 girls oh what I would do to have 1 of them like me again.I just feel like I have alot to offer im smart,funny,athletic,kind,adventurous,a great conversationalist,and very well rounded.

First things first mate.

Your scars aren't bad to begin with. They're rolling scars but the bright side is that they're discolored (at least from what I see in the pictures) and even if they were hyperpigmentated, you can get treatment for that (Differin, Retin-A and Tazorac if you want topical creams that work OR TCA Chemical Peeling/ CO2 Fractional Laser). As for the rolling scars, you can get subsicision for that. I've seen it do wonders for people with your type of scarring.

Now, know this: You aren't alone. I have red marks and acne scars on my face, and as sad as I am at times because of it, I always stay positive and go out and have a good time. If you want to see how my face looked with acne, here's the link:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/326876-done-with-my-accutane-journey-pics/#entry3332068

You're not alone. A lot of people who come to this site need support. Even if it's one tiny pimple or someone with a severe breakout, we here at acne.org are a family, and we support e/o, in the highs and lows no matter what. Those "friends" that left you because of your scars are dicks and were never true friends to begin with, because true friends would've supported you and be with you no matter how you look. And girls that just look at your face to determine who you are, are superficial and shouldn't even be considered as a potential someone to be with.

Be strong. If you're looking for support and overall help, you came to the right site. Stay strong man. Oh and by the way, don't take a year off college because of acne. As rough as this may sound, it's a stupid idea. Don't let acne intervene with your future. I've gone to several campus tours and I've seen students with acne/acne scars less, worse or just like yours and they're still studying, still have friends and a lot of them had girlfriends, so don't ruin your future because of the scars.

I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I am new to this forum as the mother of a 14-year-old son who is going through the same thing. He has cystic acne and has developed some scars as well. We are seriously considering Accutane for him but I'm worried about his age and the side effects.

Have you considered this drug or discussed it with a dermatologist? I was told by my son's derm that they won't do anything to treat the scars until the active acne is under control. There are some very good lasers now, which are very effective with scarring but you need to get the acne under control.

My son's self-esteem has taken a nose-dive as his acne has gotten worse and he is nervous to start school again. We want to decide on the Accutane by this weekend.

What else have you tried to treat your acne?

I went through Accutane, and before that I went on doxycycline. Doxycycline helps with the acne and will clear him up in around 2 months time, but since he's still 14 the acne most likely will come back due to his hormones.

I would recommend to go on Accutane. But remember, it requires PATIENCE. He won't clear up in a month or two. It took me 4 months to finally see my face clearing up, but it's different for everyone. It's a rough ride to go through, but if you follow the instructions the dermatologist gives him precisely, then he'll get to enjoy a clear face.

-Moisturize every day, since Accutane closes your sebacious glands, therefore producing little to no oil on your face, hence extremely dry skin/lips.

-Use ChapStick or any sort of lip soother/moisturizer daily (I'd recommend ChapStick. He can carry it around his pocket daily if he needs to put on more later on for example after lunch in school).

-Sunblock EVERY DAY. I can't stress how important this is. I made a grave mistake of not using sunblock during the Accutane process, and I was left with hyperpigmentated red marks after the Accutane journey, where I'm now getting TCA Peels done to remove them. Sunblock is important. Even if it's cloudy or rainy or snowy outside, UV rays still hit the skin, and/or the sun can pop out at any moment. I really, really, mean this.

-Wash his face once/two times a day with a Gentle Facial cleanser to prevent his pimples getting infected and to remove the dead skin cells from his face during Accutane.

-There is a high chance of getting an initial breakout during the Accutane, so if this happens to your son, tell him to not be alarmed because it is common and soon goes away. Accutane tends to push all the built up acne even in the deepest layers of the skin all the way up to the epidermis to rid the body of acne. So keep that in mind.

What helped me a lot during the Accutane journey was watching other people's Accutane journeys on Youtube. It kept me motivated and it really does give you an idea on how the whole Accutane experience is. If you're in need of any help or have questions, feel free to ask me.

Best of luck to you and your son.

i am 20 and have been dealing with severe acne for about 2 years.It has left me very scarred and sad and made my friends and girls who liked me abandon me.I feel like ill always get rejected now and never get married.I also want advice about getting laser,subcision,excision,and fillers.Which will work best.I sad being super ugly my goal is to get as normal as i can.I want a normal life AND IM GONNA Take a year off of college to get some work done.I wish I could have a dating life and social life again.In high school iprobably dated like 15 girls oh what I would do to have 1 of them like me again.I just feel like I have alot to offer im smart,funny,athletic,kind,adventurous,a great conversationalist,and very well rounded.

First things first mate.

Your scars aren't bad to begin with. They're rolling scars but the bright side is that they're discolored (at least from what I see in the pictures) and even if they were hyperpigmentated, you can get treatment for that (Differin, Retin-A and Tazorac if you want topical creams that work OR TCA Chemical Peeling/ CO2 Fractional Laser). As for the rolling scars, you can get subsicision for that. I've seen it do wonders for people with your type of scarring.

Now, know this: You aren't alone. I have red marks and acne scars on my face, and as sad as I am at times because of it, I always stay positive and go out and have a good time. If you want to see how my face looked with acne, here's the link:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/326876-done-with-my-accutane-journey-pics/#entry3332068

You're not alone. A lot of people who come to this site need support. Even if it's one tiny pimple or someone with a severe breakout, we here at acne.org are a family, and we support e/o, in the highs and lows no matter what. Those "friends" that left you because of your scars are dicks and were never true friends to begin with, because true friends would've supported you and be with you no matter how you look. And girls that just look at your face to determine who you are, are superficial and shouldn't even be considered as a potential someone to be with.

Be strong. If you're looking for support and overall help, you came to the right site. Stay strong man. Oh and by the way, don't take a year off college because of acne. As rough as this may sound, it's a stupid idea. Don't let acne intervene with your future. I've gone to several campus tours and I've seen students with acne/acne scars less, worse or just like yours and they're still studying, still have friends and a lot of them had girlfriends, so don't ruin your future because of the scars.

>I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I am new to this forum as the mother of a 14-year-old son who is going through the same thing. He has cystic acne and has developed some scars as well. We are seriously considering Accutane for him but I'm worried about his age and the side effects.

Have you considered this drug or discussed it with a dermatologist? I was told by my son's derm that they won't do anything to treat the scars until the active acne is under control. There are some very good lasers now, which are very effective with scarring but you need to get the acne under control.

My son's self-esteem has taken a nose-dive as his acne has gotten worse and he is nervous to start school again. We want to decide on the Accutane by this weekend.

What else have you tried to treat your acne?

I went through Accutane, and before that I went on doxycycline. Doxycycline helps with the acne and will clear him up in around 2 months time, but since he's still 14 the acne most likely will come back due to his hormones.

I would recommend to go on Accutane. But remember, it requires PATIENCE. He won't clear up in a month or two. It took me 4 months to finally see my face clearing up, but it's different for everyone. It's a rough ride to go through, but if you follow the instructions the dermatologist gives him precisely, then he'll get to enjoy a clear face.

-Moisturize every day, since Accutane closes your sebacious glands, therefore producing little to no oil on your face, hence extremely dry skin/lips.

-Use ChapStick or any sort of lip soother/moisturizer daily (I'd recommend ChapStick. He can carry it around his pocket daily if he needs to put on more later on for example after lunch in school).

-Sunblock EVERY DAY. I can't stress how important this is. I made a grave mistake of not using sunblock during the Accutane process, and I was left with hyperpigmentated red marks after the Accutane journey, where I'm now getting TCA Peels done to remove them. Sunblock is important. Even if it's cloudy or rainy or snowy outside, UV rays still hit the skin, and/or the sun can pop out at any moment. I really, really, mean this.

-Wash his face once/two times a day with a Gentle Facial cleanser to prevent his pimples getting infected and to remove the dead skin cells from his face during Accutane.

-There is a high chance of getting an initial breakout during the Accutane, so if this happens to your son, tell him to not be alarmed because it is common and soon goes away. Accutane tends to push all the built up acne even in the deepest layers of the skin all the way up to the epidermis to rid the body of acne. So keep that in mind.

What helped me a lot during the Accutane journey was watching other people's Accutane journeys on Youtube. It kept me motivated and it really does give you an idea on how the whole Accutane experience is. If you're in need of any help or have questions, feel free to ask me.

Best of luck to you and your son.

Thank-you so much KSG1996! We really appreciate all of your information and well wishes. We did do Doryx, which is a time-released Doxycycline and it helped, but not completely. After 4 months we decided to quit as long-term antibiotics are no good and his derm said it probably wasn't working for him anymore. I am going to show all of these responses to my son. I think it will make him feel good knowing that others understand what he is going through.

The words of encouragement & positivity on this thread are awesome!!!

However, I don't advocate accutane at all. It often leaves people with chronic illness/ ailments/ chronic joint & limb pain/ hair loss/ fertility issues etc and shortens their telomeres (which affects health/ lifespan).

Acne is simply your body showing you it is experiencing a severe allergic reaction to impure foods/ drinks/ toxic vaccines/ heavy metals or has lost its protective lipid barrier through (ab)using harsh chemical acne products/ toxic washes/ chemical topicals or is overloaded with toxins/ excess hormones/ DHT etc and you need a MAJOR detox & you need to take a HOLISTIC approach. Clay drinks are great for detoxing (see your naturopath or health food store - so too burdock & dandelion tisane, pure chlorella & perhaps charcoal tablets (use only for 1 week maximum). You could also consider glutathione precursors like NAC (or there are doctors that offer this super antioxidant intravenously). You can also eat lots of glutathione enhancing foods like raw red onions, garlic, broccoli, asparagus etc. A few days fresh veg/ fruit/ superfood juicing fasts are also good & so too the Master Lemon Cleanse.

Therefore, why would you add to your body's toxic burden by taking something so horribly toxic as accutane when a 100% pure raw natural nutritious unprocessed organic wholefood/ superfood vegan diet + Deva Nutrition vitamins with iodine + DHA/ EPA (or 2 x tablespoons of omega 3 flaxseed oil daily) + B12 2000-3000mcg weekly + raw fresh daily super juices with veg/ fruit/ chlorella/ spirulina/ barley grass would clean the body within 6-12 months and beyond. Along with key topicals, such as 100% organic lavender essential oil (directly on spots)/ tea tree oil (allover face)/ sea salt washes, the acne would TOTALLY DIMINISH!!! You could also try B3 Niacinamide ointment or macha (green tea powder that is just as potent as benzoyl peroxide but not toxic & without the side effects). Nizoral is an antifungal but if the acne is hormone related it can minimize the DHT level in the skin which is helpful (but only as a short term treatment i.e. 3 months max until your vegan diet normalizes your hormones/ sebum production - look into linoleic acid too like grapeseed oil instead of evoo etc). Apparently chin acne is hormone related and applying Nizoral can stop it when applied to the chin area.

So, why not try the natural method first that is risk free (as long as you are eating a fully nutritious raw natural unprocessed organic vegan diet)???

As for scarring, I have no experience with subscision but Mr Matt has done with great success. Please look to his excellent posts for inspiration and solutions.

But whatever you choose to do, remember you WILL achieve clear healthy skin. But you must take action and have a positive attitude. Acne is one of many life battles that you must master, conquer & win (and a positive attitude is key to success!!! Remember only with faith can you have hope & success, for faith sees the 'light' when only your eyes see the dark). Besides, we are all spiritual beings having an epic human experience. Let this testing time fortify your spirit - for in the end, this is all we are left with, our spirit - so whatever happens to you, make sure you nurture your soul to withstands life's greatest challenges for this is the mark of a true champion (resilience in the toughest times)...so cultivate your spirituality/ relationship with God, depend entirely on God for strength & inspiration - and nurture your soul with everything that uplifts your heart & bolsters your faith & hope. Lastly, these testing experiences teaches you true empathy, understanding, humility, gratefulness and kindness too. It is molding you into a better person. So, whatever media tells society to value is false.What truly matters is our character, our testimony to overcome personal hardships, kindness/ generosity to others & our spirit.

But returning to the issue of scar therapy, remember that realistically, it takes a few years of treatments to achieve skin you're happy with. And then there's the maintenance & improvement of skin texture aspect that is ongoing. So, practice patience and assess your skin every 6-weeks after a treatment to assess its overall success (that's 1 skin cycle according to dermatologists - note skin renews every month but it takes 2-3 months for collagen to reform).

There are so many scar treatments out there and new ones developed. Just keep trialling these scar remedies as you'll need to use different modalities over a few years to achieve significant improvement.

~ Peace ~

PS There is plenty of time for girls, you are very young...but if you want to date, DATE!! Worthwhile girls are focused on a great caring personality/ kindness not skin texture...besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder & is different for all people. ~ And finish your schooling ASAP!!!

PPS Whatever you decide, focus on a gluten free, candida free diet without processed sugars that is based on lots of fresh organic natural/ unprocessed foods/ spring water/ fruits/ vegs/ green leafy vegetables/ superfoods etc, fresh juices and is dairy free & highly alkalizing.

PPPS STAY AWAY FROM GMO, PLASTIC CONTAINERS, FASTFOODS, JUNK FOODS, FRIED FOODS, MICROWAVES, CANNED FOODS, FOODS WITH PESTICIDES, VACCINES, BIG PHARMA TOXIC "MEDICINE", CORN SYRUP etc

Oh my! Please don't get upset. It's really a small issue that you're dealing with. You have to raise your confidence dear. There are billions of people out there fighting with real big diseases and problems and facing them bravely and with confidence. It's really nothing. You should first and foremost of all, raise your self-confidence by believing that looks don't matter all the time. Your nature should be there to win peoples hearts. Anyway, as far as the treatment is concerned, i would say you'd have to treat it internally as well as externally. Well as far as treatment is concerned, both external and internal treatment would be required to get rid of your scars. Add Vitamins A, C and E in your diet. They play an important part in a diet to prevent scars. An increase in the consumption of healthy fats will also provide added elasticity and promote healthy, glowing skin. Great choices include cold-water fish such as salmon and herring, olive oil, butter from grass-fed cows and coconut oil. For external use, i can recommend you some good hypoallergenic products if you like. But the credentials are taking care of your diet

If I'm being very honest with you - I don't think your scarring looks bad, but your skin looks somewhat oily in the pictures and that overall makes the appearance of your skin and the scars worse. Have you been on accutane before? If you haven't and you are still getting acne, you might consider it as that would probably take care of oiliness. And otherwise, you could just use things like blotting your face and matte moisturizers etc to make your skin look more matte. I honestly think the oiliness affects the appearance of your skin more than the scars (and I'm not saying your skin is crazy oily or anything, since that isn't so bad either). If you want to get your scarring treated, however, you could look into subcision for the rolling scars and fractional ablative lasers (Fraxel Re:pair, Deep FX) for all sorts scarring.

Good luck with everything! No need to be depressed, you seem like a charming guy and I'm sure you'll get plenty of girls in your lifetime.

First of all your are NOT ugly, don't be so hard on yourself! Everyone's scars are more visible in those angles and under bright lighting, but that's not how people see you. For the active acne, I don't see much of it based on your photos, just small pimples so there's no need to go on accutane or do anything drastic. Aquasea's advice makes sense with regards to active acne. Visiting a holistic doctor will help you as well, especially in terms of texture and breakouts, and will address any internal issues you might have as well. You just need to find a good one - check for online patient reviews to get an idea. Sometimes health insurance covers visits and lab tests for holistic treatments.

For scarring, as people said, there is great advice on the scars forum. Again, finding the right doctor for that is key - someone who will not try to sell you the most expensive treatment, but the most effective one. Good luck!!! And please don't isolate yourself until you heal, it will just make you more depressed and depression can make acne worse.

I don't know if this will help or not, but I've posted what happenned to my 24 year old son elsewhere. He too, had cystic acne for 5 years. It left his skin with pockmarks all over his face. This summer, he just seemed to have a lot of activities out in the Texas sun. His face is 90% better. The skin seems to have evened out.

My theory is that the sun on his skin made a tremendous amount of Vitamin D, (which is now being recognized as an important hormone for many functions of the body). It's a thought. Don't go out in the sun with any Vitamin A creams or such on (that's dangerous), and don't get a sunburn. I am not a doctor, but many are now saying that some sun exposure without sunscreen may be good for you.

You might want to research this first.

Hang in there. Your doing the right thing by looking for a solution to your problem. Do what you got to do.